Top 5 three-point shooters in the 2021 NBA playoffs so far
The 2021 NBA playoffs has produced top-drawer performances from the 16 teams that made the postseason. However, only eight of them remain now and are currently fighting for a spot in the Conference Finals.
Three-point shooting is the most rewarding way to put up points, with several players being gifted in doing so. With things getting intense in the semi-finals, these players will be called upon to bail their teams out from beyond the arc.
Seasoned 3-point shooters like Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have failed to get going in the 2021 NBA playoffs, posting numbers that are not true reflections of their abilities. Meanwhile, a horrendous shooting display from Michael Porter Jr. of the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 against the Phoenix Suns means the forward misses out on this list.
On that note, let's run through the top five 3-point shooters in the 2021 NBA playoffs so far.
#5 Tim Hardaway Jr.
Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Dallas Mavericks were eliminated for the second time in two years by the LA Clippers in the NBA playoffs first round. It was an intense series and the only one that went the distance.
Hardaway's poor shooting, which started in Game 4, was a factor that led to the Dallas Mavericks losing the series. He went 8 of 34 in the last four games, despite a bright start to the series.
Nevertheless, Hardaway Jr. occupies the number 5 spot on the list, as he drained 23 three-pointers in the 2021 NBA playoffs. He bowed out of the playoffs, despite shooting 40% from beyond the arc.
#4 Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson has been impactful for the LA Clippers this season, rising to the occasion when called upon. As Hardaway Jr. switched off the Mavericks, Jackson stepped up for the Clippers.
Although Jackson has played one more game than Joe Harris, the former has made 25 3-pointers out of 61 attempts. Despite his limited minutes compared to other players on this list, the guard has managed to impose himself as one of the top shooters in the 2021 NBA playoffs.
#3 Joe Harris
The Brooklyn Nets have an exceptional talent in Joe Harris, as his 3-point shooting has contributed immensely to the Nets' success in the ongoing playoffs. He punished the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first round, setting a franchise record of six three-pointers in the first half.
Harris has started all seven postseason games for the Brooklyn Nets and has continued to impress from downtown. He has made 25 3-pointers so far and has had a 3-point shooting percentage of 0.51.
#2 Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic put together an inspirational performance against the LA Clippers in the Western Conference first-round series of the 2021 NBA playoffs. He solely took on the Clippers and was close to sending them home.
Doncic leads the points leaderboard in the ongoing 2021 NBA playoffs. However, he is second in 3-pointers made, making 31 from 76 attempts.
#1 Damian Lillard
Despite an exit against the Denver Nuggets in six games, Damian Lillard has been the most lethal player in the 2021 NBA playoffs from the three-point territory. He scored several buzzer beaters as well as a clutch one to help keep his team in the contest, but that was unfortunately to no avail.
With the series tied 2-2, Lillard finished Game 5 red-hot from the 3-point range. He forced double-overtime, hitting clutch 3-pointers in regulation time and the first overtime. He shot 12 of 17 from downtown and registered a record-breaking 55 points and ten assists.
The Portland Trail Blazers guard has been the best 3-point shooter in the 2021 NBA playoffs so far. He has recorded 35 3-point shots out of 78 attempts, doing so in only six games.
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